


I Prefer The Feelings I Know Right Now

by DawnDragon32



Series: Dakota's AftG Fic's/One Shot's [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Do NOT copy to another website, Ficlet Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnDragon32/pseuds/DawnDragon32
Summary: Hi there! This is a ficlet dump for all my tfc fics that I don't want to put out by themselves.Each chapter has its own ratings/warnings in the notes.(Title from Fake - Shinedown which is just a Neil song to me).
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Dakota's AftG Fic's/One Shot's [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929010
Comments: 7
Kudos: 62





	1. Calling Hernandez

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: None  
> Rating: G

Neil stared down at the piece of paper in his hands. It was torn along the edge, the number on it was in Wymack's messy scrawl. Neil had asked for the number, and when Wymack looked at him like he had grown another head, Neil just shrugged. Wymack had given him the number this morning after practice and now Neil sat alone at the court.

Neil sighed through his nose, and quickly put the number into his phone. He was surprised that he got it right the first try with how he did it.

As he hit send, and held the phone up to his ear, he wished he had Andrew with him. He would have been steady in the seat next to him, but Andrew was with his pro team, and Neil was still with the Foxes. He had four months to graduation, and then the whole summer to spend with Andrew. Neil was both excited and dreading it. He had a plan, but it was still crazy to think about how he had a future, and one he wanted, when he was supposed to be dead.

The phone rang four times before Hernandez answered.

"Coach Hernandez."

"Hi coach, it’s Neil..uh, Neil Josten."

It was silent for a long time. Neil thought maybe Hernandez had hung up on him, but when he spoke again it sounded hesitant,

"What can I do for you Neil?"

Neil picked at his fingernails,

"I wanted to thank you."

"What?" He spoke in a whisper. Maybe he had thought he would never hear from Neil again. Neil had certainly never expected to do this. Or maybe he was just confused. Maybe he didn’t want to hear from Neil again.

"Yeah, if you hadn't sent my info to Wymack I would be dead in a basement right now, or who knows where. I wouldn't have had the chance without you, so thank you."

Hernandez was quiet again. When he spoke he sounded more confident,

"How's college treating you?"

Neil sighed, and jumped into his classes, how he's a math major, how Robin and he had started going to this one coffee shop that just opened, about little things in his life that Hernandez didn't stop him from talking about. He couldn’t figure out where this conversation was going, but it was easier to talk to him than it was to talk to anyone he knew right now, besides Robin and Andrew.

"It sounds like you're having a good college experience then."

"Yes, I just miss… my uh. My partner graduated last year. But I get to go move in with them in the summer."

"That's good. Neil. I'm happy for you. I may have given you the chance, but you took it and ran kid. You made it."

Neil wouldn't cry.

"I've got to go now, but you are welcome to call me again, kid if you want. But I understand that technically our business is finished, and you have had Wymack as a coach much longer than me. I'm glad you made it Neil. Bye."

"Bye." Neil barely recognized his own voice, it was still echoing in his ears after Hernandez hung up, but Neil felt like something he didn't even know was tight had loosened in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Ok, I got this idea. I needed to write it.  
> -I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this fic, but it’s ok, I’m gonna post it anyway. I feel like there needs to be more content where Neil talks to Hernandez again after canon. And it doesn’t have to be long.  
> -I don’t think Neil will ever call him again after this fic, but I think this really settled his past once and for all for him.


	2. Oh goSh. Smut?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: none  
> Rating: E  
> Ship: Andreil  
> Tags: edging, kink exploration, Dom Neil, Sub Andrew, possibly ooc.
> 
> Ahhh, yes, of course, the second chapter I post is gonna be smut that might piss off half the fandom because its submissive Andrew🤭. You have been warned.
> 
> I want to say, I don't write/post smut often, so if it's not your thing, please feel free to skip this chapter and come back some other time when I've posted something different. It's not my usual, so if anything is inaccurate because of that, I do apologize.

They had woken up with a plan that day, it was a day off, so they got to wake up late, eat breakfast, and decide if they wanted to do anything kinky together. It was something they had been exploring together for the past few months, and it had been a lot of fun, putting that trust in each other. They didn't do it often, but often enough.

Andrew had known that Neil had a plan when he sat across from him at the counter that morning, watching Neil make eggs.

He'd sipped his coffee and contemplated Neil's ears. They were pink at the tips. That meant Neil either had something new he wanted to try, he wanted to be dominant that day, or both. Neil didn't easily get flustered, just when he was thinking about something he actually wanted for once.

Andrew sat his coffee mug down, "anything you want to try today? Or just do?"

Neil's eyes shot over to him, down to his lips, and then back to his eyes. He got a little smirk, and oh, Andrew felt his gut tense in anticipation.

"Yeah. Remember a while back when you edged me for an hour?"

Andrew felt his heart stop. Oh, this was gonna be fun.

"Yeah, and what? It was only ten times."

Neil's smirk came in full, and Andrew's toes curled in his socks against the bar of the stool he was sitting.

"I don't think you can last an hour or ten times, but I do want to edge you?"

He phrased it as a question, but not because he wasn't sure. He wanted Andrew's opinion. Andrew sipped his coffee again, and then looked Neil in the eyes,

"Is that a challenge? Cause I'm sure I can last an eleven."

Neil raised an eyebrow and Andrew's heart sank into his stomach in a good way.

-

Three:

Andrew gripped the sheets by his head. Neil hadn’t asked him to keep them there, and he had been gripping at Neil’s hair, but he moved them to where they were because it was more comforting to know he could tug and pull on them without hurting Neil or himself.

Andrew let go of the sheets with one hand and hovered it over Neil’s. Neil's hand slowed down, but his thumb started rubbing right under the head of his dick in a way that had his toes curling.

Andrew snapped his head up, fingers touching the back of Neil's hand, but Neil just grabbed it with the hand he wasn't using to jerk Andrew off with, not restraining him, but bringing his hand up to Neil's mouth so that Neil could kiss his knuckles, redirecting him away from where Neil was in charge right now.

"Neil", his voice was high, and too close to a whine.

Neil looked him in the eyes, and said, "use your words."

Andrew let his head thump back against the pillow.

"I'm close" his voice was barely a whisper, but Neil stopped and put his hand on Andrew's stomach, letting his fingers spread out across Andrew's abs. Andrew's hand still by his head twisted in the sheets. 

"Fuck", his voice was quite then it had been before, but he heard Neil's chuckle from where he was between Andrew's knees.

-

Seven:

Andrew had his arms crossed over his eyes. He left his mouth uncovered, the one 'command' Neil had thrown out when Andrew had tried, and his mouth had a constant stream of curses and Neil's name falling from his lips.

Neil was being slow this time, not actually stoking him, but using the backs of his fingers to rub the underside of his dick, and the tips to rub at the head and slit. 

His other hand was keeping one of his legs up, bent at the knee and out so that Andrew couldn't hide; not like he wanted to. His hand was under his knee, and his thumb was rubbing at the skin there.

"Neil", Andrew didn't know Neil's name could sound that urgent out of his mouth,"I'm getting close."

Neil had been circling the head with his fingers again, and before pressing his hand flat to Andrew's stomach like he had everytime Andrew had said he was close, he gave Andrew's dick one full stroke before using his hand too keep Andrew's hips from jerking off the bed.

Andrew gave a low whine, "that was mean."

Neil just rubbed his hand around Andrew's stomach, not even bothering to answer.

"Take your arms from your face. If you need to, grab the sheets by your head again."

Andrew swallowed thickly, but did as he was told. He had put his arms there when his eyes had started watering. As he moved them away he could feel moisture leak out, and into his hair.

Neil studied his face, and Andrew bit at his lip.

Neil smiled at him softly, "good boy. Four more."

Andrew squeezed his eyes shut as he shuddered.

-

Ten:

Neil had moved so that Andrew's lower half was basically in his lap now. He had explained that he needed both his hands. Andrew was fine with that, it let him wrap his legs around Neil, and it was grounding. He had his hands down near Neil' knees, and he had the sheets in his fists, also grounding.

Which was nice considering that Neil was blowing his mind.

He was steadily jerking him off, and his other hand was busy keeping constant pressure and rubbing behind his balls.

Andrew felt like Neil had only been at it for a couple seconds before Andrew was almost shouting, "close, close, close!"

Neil moved his hands away the second he said anything, and rubbed his sides while Andrew breathed, almost heaved.

"Andrew?"

He peaked his eyes open to look up at Neil, he was looking at him with slight concern.

"One more? Or do you want to come now?"

Neil was giving him the choice. There would be no consequences, except that Andrew,

"I want one more."

Andrew was not a quitter. And he was having fun.

Neil smiled down at him, he reached out and push Andrew's curls that had been stuck down with sweat off his forehead, 

"ok. I want to move you though, is that ok?"

-

Eleven:

Neil moved him so he was upright, sitting in Neil's lap. Neil had his legs on either side of him, and he had guided Andrew arms up and to the back of Neil's head.

Neil was rubbing Andrew's sides again, helped him calm down, before he moved his hand back to Andrew's dick and started a slow rhythm.

And then he started talking,

"How do you want to come, when I let you?"

Andrew squeezed his eyes shut again.

"My hand? Like this? Or my mouth?"

Andrew shuddered hard and gripped Neil's hair harder.

"Or I could pull the vibe out of the drawer? Press it here." He paused and swiped his thumb across the head to emphasize where he would press the vibrator.

Andrew moaned.

"But that might be too much, I made you pretty sensitive. Unless you'd be patient enough to let me open you up and put it in you?"

Andrew shook his head hard against Neil's shoulder and tugged on his hair. Neil laughed,

"No, I didn't think you would be. I wonder if I could stop touching you and be able to get you off just like this, just talking to you."

"Close."

Neil pulled his hand off, and held Andrew's hips. Supporting him while he breathed.

Andrew licked his lips, taking a deep shuddering breath, he turned so he could see Neil's face,

"I wanna come now, make me come?"

Once he started he didn't stop, and Neil didn't make him choose, just kissed his temple, and started jerking him off again, a faster rhythm, but not like before, while Andrew babbled and basically begged Neil to make him come.

Andrew fast approached the edge, and when he tipped over it was intense.

He jerked forward, and to the side, and Neil followed him, continued to stroke him dick while Andrew shuddered through the after 

shocks, and only stopped when Andrew grabbed his hand to stop him.

Neil placed kisses along his spine, between his shoulder blades, and Andrew buried his face into the sheets, trying to stifle his wrecked breath and the tears he wouldn't ever admit to. When he finally calmed down, Neil spoke,

"Andrew? Can you drink some water for me?"

Andrew sat up, taking the water from Neil, and let himself be doted on. Neil ran his fingers through Andrew's hair, and used a washcloth they had sat aside to clean him up.

When Andrew's water was gone Neil got out of their bed and grabbed a pair of soft pants, and Andrew was so blissed he didn't even think about it as Neil helped him into them.

When he could think clearly again he was tucked under Neil's chin, and Neil was playing with his hair, humming.

"What about you?"

Neil stopped humming, "what about me?"

Andrew sighed, shifting closer. He could feel that Neil wasn't even hard, but he felt he had to ask anyway,

"Did you want to get off too?"

Neil pressed a kiss against Andrew's hair,

"Not this time. This was just for you."

Andrew nodded. He had almost drifted off again when he remembered,

"Did I make it?"

"What?"

"Did I make the hour?"

Andrew felt and heard Neil's laugh, a steady rumble beneath him,

"You got to 47 minutes."

"Fuck."

"You're just easier to work up."

"No, you're just difficult to."

Neil laughed again, and tugged at the back of Andrew's hair in a way that made Andrew content, and made him press his neck more firmly into Neil's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Andrew’s 27, Neil’s 25. They’ve been exploring kinky shit for awhile before this, obviously, and while they have safe words they are not mentioned in this fic, cause they where not needed.
> 
> -Neil is a service top. I have meta about this, you can't change my mind. Edit: I got this wrong? I just realized?? Like. I keep forgetting that service top isn't just 'top who's main pleasure is their partner's pleasure'. Is there a word for that??
> 
> -Am I really in a fandom if I don't write what some would consider to be inaccurate smut? No, I'm not to be honest.
> 
> -I feel almost self conscious that I'm posting almost 9,000 words of smut tbh.
> 
> -I'm posting this from my phone so I'm sorry if the format is weird, I just didnt want to pull my laptop out right now. If it is weird I'll try to fix it at a later date.


	3. S-soft.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: none.  
> Rating: G.

Andrew felt Neil shift next to him. The bed dipped in the middle as he got comfortable. Andrew had no idea if he was getting any sleep that night. The ach in his knee was annoying, but tolerable.

He drew his knee up, fingers digging in around where it was hurting to try and sooth it. It didn’t work, but it didn’t hurt, so he kept doing it, the repetitive motion soothing in a different way. 

Andrew sighed through his nose. He’d just been walking away from the goal earlier during practice, and his leg had decided to go the wrong way. Now he was out of practice for the next two days to let it rest. At least it wasn’t broken.

Neil rolled over, and Andrew looked over at him to find him wide awake. Andrew turned his head on the pillow, his hair falling into his eyes and before he could move his arm above his head, Neil reached out and pushed his curls back up onto his forehead. He let his hand rest there, curling the tips of his fingers against Andrew’s scalp, and Andrew sighed, letting his eyes slip shut, letting himself really feel Neil’s fingers.

“Did you want an ice pack?” Neil’s voice was quiet. Andrew let his voice wash over him, and then he blinked his eyes open, taking Neil in. He nodded, and Neil’s hand left his hair as he climbed out of their bed.

King jumped up into the space Neil left, curling up by Andrew’s elbow. He would most likely be kicked off the bed after Neil came back, not because they were going to kick him off, but because he didn’t like being on the bed when they both were on the bed.

True to habit, when Neil came back, he walked over Andrew’s arm and hopped off the bed. 

Neil curled up against Andrew's side, and Andrew turned so he was half laying on top of Neil. Neil’s arm came around him and held the ice pack to his knee. Andrew had to keep his knee bent up farther then he probably should, but it was worth it. Neil was warm against his back, and his fingers would rub through the ice pack like he had been doing to himself earlier, but this time it helped.

Andrew sighed contentedly, pushing his head back against Neil’s shoulder, and Neil huffed a small laugh before pressing lips to Andrew’s temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -soft. So soft. Sleepy literal hurt/comfort.  
> \- im adhd af and I write all my comfort characters as adhd, so adhd Andrew. It’s probably subtle tho. Like. Just the part where he's rubbing his knee he's stimming.  
> -Weird thing, when your adhd, like, taking things for your pain really doesn’t cross your mind? Like I have broken my toe, and just. Not taken anything, cause I just don’t think about it? I took an ibuprofen for the first time in like, 7 months today because of a headache, but I didn’t even think about taking anything for like, a few hours.  
> -King has been ‘traumatized’. Aka he jumped on the bed one time when they where fucking, and has never been able to be on the bed with them both ever since. Poor King, he’s seen some things.  
> -Shot fic is short. Like Andrew. (no really these notes are probably as long as the fic lol).  
> -Anyone else just doing nothing and then your knee goes “I don’t like bending this way, lets try the other! Oh wait no this is worse”?? Cause, like, mine do.  
> -Hopefully this is better than the ooc smut i posted last time lol.


	4. I just wanted an Excuse to write about Aaron being Asexual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: none.  
> Rating: T.  
> Tags: messy divorce, probably ooc characters.

Andrew turned over, the door creaking slowly open to reveal Amelia peeking her head in. When she saw Andrew she stepped in, and closed the door behind her, she stepped up to the edge of the bed, stepping over the clothes he'd thrown to the floor while changing earlier in the evening.

She patted the edge of the bed, and he sat up, picking her up and putting her between himself and Neil.

They hadn't been sleeping, kept up by what was probably keeping her up.

Aaron and Katelyn's shouting coming from the kitchen.

Andrew had been surprised when Aaron called and asked if they would come stay with him,

"She's never raised a hand against me, but there's so much shouting and I can't do this alone anymore."

He'd been close to sobs on the call, and Andrew had immediately started packing. Neil hadn't asked, just called their coach and let them know they were going to be out of town for a few days, taking that vacation they hadn't had a reason to take before.

Amelia snuggled down between them, curling up against Andrew's chest and looking up at Neil with her big eyes. Neil reached out and brushed his finger against her nose, tapping it on the end and then brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

Andrew waited until she was asleep, and when there was still shouting coming from the kitchen, he pressed Amelia into Neil's arms, kissed both of them on the forehead, and climbed out of bed.

He picked up Neil's hoodie, slipped it on, and stepped out into the hallway.

When the door was shut he could hear his brother arguing with his wife more clearly.

He stepped down the stairs, he wasn't quiet about it, but they didn't hear him anyways.

He stood in the doorway and watched as Katelyn threw her hands in the air,

"You can't even spend one night sleeping in the same bed as me, you hate me so much!?"

Aaron had his head in his hands,

"Kate, you were the one who wanted to have separate rooms, I'm just sleeping on the couch."

"Right, cause you invited your brother that wants to stab me to stay with us, in your bed. Without even talking to me about it!"

Andrew did sometimes want to stab Katelyn, but he wasn't going to. They were officially split up and Aaron was already going to have sole custody of Amelia, and Andrew wasn't going to risk it if stabbing Katelyn was going to be more harmful than helpful. 

"Right, I don't deserve the support of my family, but yours is allowed to come over and tell Amelia lies while I'm at work."

Katelyn's voice took a vindictive and harsh tone that Andrew had honestly thought she would never have been capable of.

"Well, I'll admit they were out of line, it's not like they were lying."

Aaron let his hands fall from his face and Andrew was horrified to see his twin actually crying, and start crying harder when he looked at his soon to be ex-wife,

"Talking to my three year old daughter about my libido isn't just out of line, it's disgusting."

Katelyn sneered, "what libido?"

Andrew had heard enough. He walked into the room and they both went deathly still as he stepped in and behind Aaron to get a glass. He filled it with ice and water from the fridge and handed it to Aaron, which he took with shaking hands, as he stared at the floor by the table; and then turned to get himself some water as well, when he was done he stepped between them and leaned against the table.

He looked to Katelyn once as he said, "you woke Amelia."

Aaron spoke, even though Katelyn had been the one shouting, "I'm sorry, did she wake you?"

His voice was stuffy, and thick, and Andrew hated it, "no, we were already awake."

Aaron sipped his water and Katelyn left the room without a word to either of them.

"Where is Amelia?" Aaron's voice was rough.

"She's asleep, I left her with Neil."

Aaron nodded, and tried to step out of the room into the living room, but Andrew snagged his sleeve and pulled him along to the guest, or Aaron's bedroom.

Aaron let himself be tugged along, and Andrew opened the door to find Neil holding Amelia in a more protective way, wide awake and watching the door. When he saw Andrew his eyes relaxed, but he still held on like if he let go it would be the end of the world; he rubbed Amelia's back and she shuffled closer in her sleep, a soft sound of contentment escaping her.

Andrew thought back to when Neil couldn't even touch her, he was so scared of her.

Aaron relaxed beside him seeing his daughter peacefully asleep. He started to pull away but Andrew held tighter to his sleeve.

When he spoke it was in quiet Russian,

"Neil. Aaron's gonna sleep on my other side, ok?"

Neil looked confused, but then he looked to Aaron and his face softened some more and he nodded.

Andrew nodded back, and stepped into the room, pulling Aaron with him. When they got to the bed Andrew finally said,

"Sleep in here, it's fine."

"With you?"

"It's fine."

They were whispering, but they still woke Amelia, and Andrew had the fleeting thought that he hoped it was just because she had been sleeping lightly, and not because she didn't feel safe in the house.

"Daddy?"

Aaron sighed, and Andrew took the second it took Aaron to decide that he was gonna sleep in there with them to shuck off Neil's hoodie.

Andrew climbed into bed, and Neil backed himself closer to the corner.

It was a queen size so it left a lot of room for Aaron but when he layed down he did so close enough that Andrew could feel the bed dip.

He stayed sitting up, picking Amelie up and putting her between him and Aaron, but she climbed over and layed on Aaron's other side. Andrew laid on his side, back to Neil and Neil scooted closer, wrapping his arm around Andrew's middle. Andrew felt Neil's breathing even out quickly, and tiny snores came from him quicker then Andrew had heard in awhile.

He laid there looking at Aaron, as Aaron laid on his back, staring at the ceiling, running his fingers through Amelia's hair, her head on his shoulder.

"Aaron," Andrew kept his voice soft, and when he spoke it was in German, "I was outside the kitchen, for a few minutes. I have to ask, with the way she was speaking-" 

Andrew didn't finish asking, but Aaron turned to him, more tears falling for his eyes as he shook his head, but as soon as he met Andrew's eyes he started sobbing.

Andrew vaguely noticed Neil getting up and taking a still sleeping Amelia out of the room.

As soon as they were gone, Andrew shifted forward and pulled Aaron closer to himself, settling them so that there was a small space between them, but if Aaron wanted to close, Andrew was going to let him.

He started running his fingers through Aaron's hair like Aaron had been doing for Amelia not minutes ago. 

Aaron had his head shoved into his hands again, and he was laying on his side facing Andrew. He pushed his head into Andrew's hand.

"Did she-"

"No." Aaron's voice was choked up, and stuttering, "no she didn't."

"Then why are you sobbing after I asked you?"

Aaron shuffled forward, but paused, and Andrew grabbed him and pulled him close so that Aaron could rest his head on Andrew's shoulder. One of his hands twisted into Andrew's t-shirt collar.

"Im… im… fuck, Andrew, I'm asexual."

"Ok? And so is Neil."

"Yeah, I know. But he's not sex repulsed and didn't think he could fix himself by just saying yes whenever his partner asked cause he thought it was just supposed to be like that."

Aaron sounded so miserable and small. Andrew felt white hot rage fill his lungs.

Andrew tightened his arm that was around Aaron, and his hand that had been in Aaron's hair paused.

The shoulder of his shirt was already damp.

"Does she know?"

"Not until recently."

"Before when you were trying to make it work or after you decided it wasn't going to no matter what?"

"Before."

"Did she push you into having sex with her after she knew?"

"She tried to talk me into it but backed off when I would say no. Didn't stop her from asking a lot though."

Andrew had to actively remind himself that stabbing Katelyn was going to be less productive than it seemed in the moment, and would hurt the case.

"If it didn't hurt your chances of keeping Amelia I would go and kill her right now."

"I know. Thank you."

Andrew gave a cruel laugh, "you're thanking me for threatening to kill your wife."

"I know."

-

Andrew didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke up with Aaron still pressed tightly to his chest, arms around him. He woke to the door opening, and Amelia climbed up onto the bed with them. He glanced at the clock and found that it was far later than they normally woke up.

Aaron stirred, and Andrew leaned back, letting go of Aaron and running his finger through his hair. Amelia plopped down in between them, and Aaron woke up, looking down at his daughter, and pulling her to his chest.

She squirmed around from a moment, looking up and Andrew with puppy-dog eyes.

“Uncle Andrew,” she had a little lisp so when she spoke his name sounded like Anshew, “Uncle Neil just went for a run, he told me to come get you. He said, you would make me pancakes.”

Andrew rubbed his eyes with his hand that wasnt trapped.

"Does your daddy want pancakes?"

He moved his arm to see Aaron watching him with soft eyes,

"Yes. I do."

Andrew reached over and messed up Aaron's hair more than it was, after he flicked him on the forehead, and then he got up to make them breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Andrew and Aaron are 33, Katelyn is 32, and Neil is 31.  
> -Me: *genderqueer guy with a vagoo, who was closest to his sister growing up and has no idea how brothers act* this isnt incest but people are probably gonna think it is lol. Oh well. Needless to say, I’m nervous to post this one.  
> -Me: *actually likes Katelyn*   
> Also me: *writes this*.  
> -*outs myself as that one anon on tumblr to whatmack about the anshew thing.* haha, yeah anyways. My baby cousin called her mom’s boyfriend that, and it’s too cute, ok? Aaron’s daughter has always called Andrew that in my mind, and I can’t NOT.  
> -i'll be honest, I don't think Katelyn is like this, I just think anyone can be when you're going through a messy divorce. Aaron has probably also said some unnecessarily cruel things, but we are just not seeing it because at this point he is so done and tired and wants to be out of the situation.  
> -Aaron is getting custody because he stays home with Amelia more, and is the main caregiver. At the moment Katelyn is doing emergency work, and Aaron is doing more like, big surgeries/ just not working as often. Idk, I don’t really know how this works irl.  
> -yes I headcanon both Aaron and Neil as asexual. No I will not take any criticism on that matter.  
> -you know? I will not take any kinda of criticism. I'll just cry and delete the comment🤣.


	5. Reese's Pieces.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: none  
> Rating: T  
> Tags: trans character. Ftm Renee. Renee POV
> 
> Title has nothing to do with the fic, it's actually a little bit of an inside joke from tumblr and unimportant but it makes me happy so it stays.

Renee tugged at the bottom of his shirt. It had been a long time since he had left the house without wearing a binder, but he wanted to tell Andrew, not show him.

It had been about a year since the last time they had seen each other, and the only reason they were going to be able to meet up in person that day was because Andrew had booked an early flight before his game the next day. Renee still felt a swell in his chest at the thought that Andrew wanted to see him. It wasn't like they didn't regularly talk, but it was nice to be reassured that they were still good friends.

Renee had picked where they were meeting up. The coffee shop was local, and small, and he thought that Andrew would like their white chocolate mocha. He didn’t know how long they would stay there, considering that Andrew was more recognizable than ever before, and he had admitted to being more of a home body then even in college, when Renee was sure at the time the only reason he left was when he was dragging himself out on the weekend for his family.

Andrew walked into the shop. Renee watched as he did a once over of the area, when his eye’s landed on Renee, Renee smiled softly at him. Since he was looking for it, he saw Andrew’s miniscule head tilt of acknowledgement as he walked up to the counter.

Renee looked down to his own coffee, iced with caramel. He wrapped his fingers around the base, dragging it closer to him. He wondered if Andrew would be mad at him for choosing one of the tall tables, but this one was in front of the window and Renee liked the view. People watching was always relaxing, and he liked to make up stories for the random people passing by. Most of them were more morbid then they probably should be, but it made Jean laugh, and it would probably amuse Andrew as well.

Andrew sat his cup across the table. His shoulder was level with the table, and he sent a half hearted glare at Renee as he climbed into the chair. Renee just smiled back and kicked his feet. It wasn’t like he was much taller then Andrew and didn’t have to climb as well.

Andrew took off his jacket and let it fall over the back of his chair, he pushed his glasses back up his face as he drew his own coffee near him, blended, white mocha, just like Renee figured he would get. Renee smiled softly at the drink, and then looked back up to Andrew’s face.

Andrew was watching him closely, and when their eyes met, Renee saw the slightest softening of his features. Renee felt himself relax more, the final knot that had settled in his stomach coming undone.

“Andrew, hello. How have you been, how’s Neil?” 

“Good. Neil is good. Sir bit him yesterday. How is Jean? Does he still have that horrible haircut?”

Renee felt his lips purse in an attempt not to smile, “Jean is good, and yes he still has his hair the same as the last time you saw him.”

Andrew took a sip of his drink, “Ah. What a shame.”

Renee felt his wall break, and a grin stretched across his face.

“What did Neil do to deserve Sir’s wrath?”

Andrew looked out the window at a couple laughing together, Renee could see something close to longing in Andrew’s eyes before it vanished, and he turned his eyes back to him,

“He picked up the socks that were on the floor.”

-

After they finished their coffee, they took Andrew’s rental car to the park nearby. It was one that was more trail and benches then it was somewhere for kids to play, and Renee was right in thinking that Andrew would like to sit on the bench beside the lake to smoke.

Renee sat at the other end of the bench, leaning forward on his knees, as Andrew leaned back, one arm across the back. Renee thought about how it looked like he was waiting for Neil to sit with him. He thought about how much Andrew has adapted to Neil being in his life that he would be subconsciously waiting for Neil to sit with him. It made his chest feel warm with happiness for his friend.

Andrew’s eyes drifted to his,

“You cut your hair.”

Renee’s hand drifted up to his hair. It was the shortest it had ever been, an undercut with the top being longish. The hairdresser had exclaimed ‘90s boy hair? Are you sure?’ He still remembered how offended Jean had been on his behalf. It was also it’s natural brown for the first time in years; though the tips were, as always, a fantasy color. At the moment they were blue.

“Yes. Do you like it?”

Andrew let smoke drift out of his mouth and Renee thought about how it made him look like a dragon.

“It is your hair. Does my opinion matter?”

“To me? Always.”

“It suits you.” And then he went back to looking out over the water.

Renee smiled down at his feet. He felt it melt off his face when he thought about what he was about to do. He didn’t really think Andrew would mind that Renee was a boy, he didn’t think it would matter to him, but they had not discussed anything like this in the past, and it still made him nervous.

He took a deep breath, his stomach in knots, and he wondered why he thought it was a good idea to have coffee before coming out to his best friend with the way he felt like he was going to throw up.

“Andrew?”

Andrew turned to him, and he must have seen something he found concerning, because he dropped his cigarette, stomping it out with his boot, and turned more towards Renee.

To Renee’s mortification, he found that it was because he was beginning to cry, his eye’s welling up with tears. He took another deep breath to try and steady himself.

He laughed and it sounded strained and wet,

"I've cried every time I've done this."

Andrew leaned down so he was resting his elbows on his knees like Renee was, making them almost eye level with each other.

"Andrew. I've done a lot of thinking this last year. Talking with my mother and with Jean, and they've both really encouraged me to live my life the way I need to. I've been hiding such a big part of myself for so long that it's very scary to tell someone besides my partner and my mother. But you're my best friend, and you deserve to know. Even if you don't want to be my friend after you find out."

Andrew reached out, hesitated for a second, and then pushed Renee's hair out his face, letting his hand rest there for a moment, giving silent support, before taking his hand back to himself. Renee swallowed, and breathed out a shuddering breath,

"I'm trans. Female to male. I'm not a girl. I'm a guy."

It felt good to say out loud. Even if his mother and Jean had switched pronouns for him already, it was a good feeling to tell Andrew.

Andrew sat up, and Renee was convinced he was going to leave but he just went back to looking at the water.

They were silent for a time, and then Renee sat up all the way, trying to relax again. He finally looked to Andrew.

Andrew was turned to look at him. There was an expiration on his face that didn't make sense, it almost looked like understanding. Like something made sense to him now.

"Name?"

Renee smiled at him, "what?"

Andrew rolled his eyes, "I seem to have forgotten your name."

Renee laughed, it was carefree, and weightless.

"It's still Renee. It's sort of gender neutral. I'm more attached to it than most people are to their given names."

Andre's hummed, and stood up. Renee looked to his watch to see it was far later than he thought it was. They were going back to Renee and Jean's apartment. Andrew was staying there for the night, and then tomorrow he would be picking Neil up from the airport, and they would get their own room for the next night.

As they walked back to the car, Renee bit at the inside of his cheek in thought.

"Actually," Andrew turned his gaze to him, "I've been thinking about maybe going as Ren? Just. As a nickname?"

Andrew blinked, thinking about it, and then he nodded. Renee smiled at him,

"It's just a thought. You're the first person I've actually told that though."

They were at Andrew's car at that point. Andrew twirled the keys around his fingers, before shoving them back into his pocket. He turned to Renee fully, and then stepped closer to him. He slowly put his arm around Renee's middle, pulling him close, and then wrapped his other arm around him as well. Renee slowly put his own arms around Andrew's shoulders. Andrew let his chin rest on Renee's shoulder,

"Thank you for telling me Ren."

Ren felt that feeling in his chest that he was starting to recognize as gender euphoria, and he let his forehead rest on Andrew's shoulder for a second, and then Andrew's arms squeezed right before he started to pull back. Ren dropped his arms immediately, and wiped at his face, getting the tears to stop as Andrew stepped away. When he looked back to Andrew he grinned big.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I had this idea, I don’t know why? This isn’t my usual thing tbh, I don’t normally like it when people make character different genders then what’s canon (besides like. Their canon gender but trans* or enby/genderqueer), but this idea came to me a few nights ago, and now it won’t leave me.  
> -the coffee shop is based off a coffee shop that my best friend took me too, and they have the best white chocolate mocha i’ve ever had, it was so good. That day was crazy, we went to the mall after and drove through a tornado warning on the way home. Fucking scary.  
> -As agreed with most of the fandom, I do see Renee as Asian. Though when I was reading the book for the first time I actually saw them as half black half asain. And I am with the neche part of the fandom that sees Andrew and Aaron as half Korean half white. Idk I’m rambling sorry, it’s midnight as I'm writing this note.  
> \- No, Andrew did not always know Renee was trans, but he always felt like Renee was different or holding themselves back from something.  
> -I legit hate how other people have Andrew as threatening to Jean? Like, he wouldn’t feel that way, sorry, this was the man who took one look at Kevin and knew he was being abused, the only time he was any sort of threatening to Jean was when Jean was actively trying to get Kevin to go back to the Ravens.  
> -I liked exploring gender this way? As someone who is not out and identifies as he/him(genderqueer) I really felt Renee being in their own mind he/him, while Andrew didnt know. It was really how much everyday life goes being in the closet.  
> -it was also really fun to explore andreil from an outside perspective, even if Neil wasn't present.


	6. 11:45pm and 1:03am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: None.  
> Rating: T

Aaron hadn’t ever really thought much about how he didn’t know if Andrew was older then him. The thought had been fleeting, a ‘something we will never know’. And then it just was something he didn’t think about, at first just content with having a brother, and then when they were not talking and Aaron was furious with Andrew he didn’t even care.

It was coming up on their birthday again, Aaron hadn’t truly celebrated in years, and wasn’t planning to that year either, besides the cup cakes Katelyn was insisting on making for him, ‘And Andrew, if you want to share with him.’ She had told him that while not looking, reading the recipe off her phone as she stuck ingredientes in the little basket he was holding.

Aaron had sneered at the thought in the moment, but then after a couple minutes he knew he was going to share.

Aaron in the present moment, was leaning on his side on the couch sitting up on his leg, Andrew eating said cupcake in front of him leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, and Nicky on the other side of him. Neil was on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, folding one of the napkins into an origami crane. Katelyn was sitting behind him, and she might be dozing off, if he was right about how even her breath was getting.

“Oh gosh, I just remembered!” Nicky shouted, and yes, Katelyn had been asleep, cause she just jumped into Aaron’s back.

Aaron sat back on the couch the right way, throwing his arm around her, snickering to himself. Katelyn stuck her tongue out at him, and leaned into his side, tucking her face into his neck.

Nicky came back in the room, a shoe box in his hands, “Since my” he paused, a grimace on his face, “well. Since they moved, they sent a few things, and I wanted you to look through these. You can do it later though if you want to.”

He sat the box in Aaron’s lap, and Aaron opened the box to find old photos, the top one of him as a toddler. He was holding up a toy, showing whoever had been holding the camera.

Katelyn made a soft sound of excitement, grabbing it by the corner and holding it up closer to her.

“They’re all of you. I didn’t look through all of them, I didn’t have the time.” Nicky was looking at Aaron with something like melancholy in his eyes, and Aaron looked back down to the box.

Andrew leaned over and pulled out a random picture, Aaron catching a glimpse. It had to have been his eighth birthday, Nicky was sitting next to him at a table with some kids that Aaron didn’t recognize.

Aaron started looking through the box, finding all of them to be photos of him as a child, there weren’t a lot, maybe 30 in total.

Andrew sat the photo he had been holding back in the box and stood up.

Aaron didn’t ask where he was going as he walked out of the room, but Neil must have seen something in his expression, because he didn’t get up to follow.

As Aaron sat the box under the table, Andrew walked back into the room, a black three ring binder in his hands.

He sat back in his same spot, and opened it.

The first page was a plain piece of paper that just said ‘Andrew’, and then he flipped it, and Nicky gasped.

There was someone they didn’t know, holding a baby that looked a lot like Aaron’s baby photos, though at that age all baby’s look similar. And then Andrew flipped the page, and there was a toddler, also similar looking to Aaron, a slightly chunkier build. 

Page after page, usually years in between until they started getting to school pictures. Andrew as a scarecrow for Halloween stuck out to him, and the one of him at maybe age 5, holding a beanie baby bat. And then at the end there were a lot more, of Andrew getting on the bus, eating cake at a kitchen table, an eleven written on it in fancy writing, napping on a couch with a book in his lap. He paused there, thumb rubbing the corner of the page.

Nicky looked close to tears on the other side of him, and Aaron was surprised to find that even Neil was silent.

Finally Aaron cleared his throat,trying to think of something to say, but Andrew just flipped the page, one last picture, Andrew holding up some school project, and then a birth certificate at the end. It read Andrew Doe, of course, but the thing that caught Aaron’s eye was the date. It was yesterday's date, at 11:45pm. Aaron had always just assumed that if Andrew was older he had been born after midnight, considering Aaron was born at 1:03am.

Aaron made a noise, he wasn’t sure what it sounded like, but he reached forward and turned the binder in Andrew’s lap, trying to see if it was a trick of the light, a glare on the page protector. But it wasn’t.

He sat back with a thump, “Your older!”

Andrew turned to him, one eyebrow raised in a ‘what are you gonna do about it?’ Sort of look.

Neil laughed softly, “How long have you known Andrew?”

Andrew turned back to Neil, “Always.”

Nicky laughed then too, “What and you never held it over his head?”

Andrew shrugged, “Never needed too.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, flipping the picture back to the one of Andrew dressed as a scarecrow,

“How old were you here?”

Andrew tilted his head to the side in thought, “Six.”

Aaron nodded his head, he had been five when he had gone as one, “Good, cause if we had both been scarecrows the same year I would have burned the picture of me, that would have been too creepy.”

Andrew just nodded his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -fic about a random headcanon that Andrew was born at 11:45pm and Aaron was born at 1:03 am? More likely than you’d think.  
> -Me? Using that outdated meme in my fic notes a lot? More likely than you’d think.  
> -sorry but like. There being no pictures of kid Andrew doesn’t make sense to me? My grandparents were foster parents, they had pictures of the kids they took care of, and I think some of them they sent to the kids later if they ever got to hear from them again? My dad has told me some…. Heart shattering stories about kids they took care of….. Info dumping? In my notes? More likely- Ok, sorry.  
> -Andrew and Aaron are turning 23, it’s their last year at Palmetto.  
> -Higgins was the one who got all the photos together. I don’t really know if Andrew would have appreciated it because for him it would just be a reminder of bad things. But maybe he would have liked the baby ones.


	7. Neil? Using his bf as a weighted blanket? Ye.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: None  
> Rating: G
> 
> No thoughts, just soft andreil and Neil pov practice.

Neil watched Andrew from the corner of his eye. It had been a long day, and he was tired beyond belief, but he wouldn’t go to bed without Andrew. He could, and he knew that he could, that the second his head hit the pillow he would be out like a light, but the thought of physically getting out off the floor beside Andrew was so unpleasant that he didn’t want it.

They hadn’t seen each other in awhile. Andrew was with his pro team, and Neil was so proud of him, but they had already gone over that when Andrew had gotten there for the weekend.

They were at the house in Columbia, sitting on their bedroom floor. Backs against the wall under the window, the night was clear and they had drawn the curtains, so the moon light shining in was casting shadows.

Neil turned his head to look fully at Andrew, watching as he talked about the way his new team was a pain in the ass,

“I don’t care, but there’s a couple of them who just want the whole team to get along, like Dan 2.0. Or a downgrade more like.”

He sighed, and pulled his leg up to his chest resting his chin on it. He looked at Neil, seeing their positions mirrored, and he must have noticed how close to sleep Neil was, because he pulled his phone closer, the screen lighting up,

“When did it get so late?”

Neil shrugged, but he had been keeping an eye on the time and had known Andrew had been talking for the better part of an hour.

If Andrew was in a talking mood, he would never interrupt him.

“You should have told me. We have to go back tomorrow.”

Neil just shrugged again, and Andrew reached out, cupping his face in his hand. He only let it set there for a couple seconds before he got up.

Neil stretched out his leg in front of himself, sighing at the satisfying pop his knee made. Andrew let out a soft sound that Neil recognized as his way of showing amusement. Normally not something that you can hear, so soft, unless you were right beside him, or it was like in that moment. Midnight silent, with nothing but the house to make noise.

Neil got up and leaned back against the window, watching as Andrew stood next to his open suitcase. Something in Neil ached at how Andrew pulled clothes out of it while his where in the closet. Andrew’s closet. Their closet.

But he just went the closest, opening the dresser drawer in there, and pulled his own pajamas out. They were soft and sleep worn and had most definitely been Andrew’s at one point.

Neil turned back to the room just in time to see Andrew put the blinds down, letting in filtered light, and as he stepped back he pulled his shirt up and off, and Neil turned back to his own pajamas, slipping out of his clothes and into them fast and smoothly.

When he turned back to the room Andrew was sitting on the bed. He was still shirtless, and when Neil turned, his eyes followed.

Neil put his clothes on top of the dresser, leaving them for tomorrow. And walked back to the bed, sitting near Andrew.

Neil turned his gaze to Andrew, and then scooted back into the middle of the bed, 

“Lay on me?”

Neil could remember the first time they did this, well. The first time they had woken up like this was different from the first time Neil had asked Andrew to lay on him. The first time they had woken up with Andrew laying on top of Neil, his cheek pressed to Neil abs, was the best night of sleep Neil had had in a long time. And then he had asked Andrew to do it again the next week, and he slept like a rock. Needless to say, it was something that Neil liked to ask back when he had been having stressful days and Andrew still lived in the dorms. Andrew’s face when Neil had asked back then had almost made Neil wish he had never done it, but then he agreed. And that morning when they woke up Andrew had been the one to leverage himself up and kiss Neil good morning. And told him that he would like to do that again.

His face now was calm, an almost smile on his lips as he nodded and Neil laid back against the pillow, and then Andrew’s weight on his stomach, the blanket pulled up to his shoulders. Neil wouldn’t need it, Andrew being more than enough for him for the night.

Neil pushed his arm under his head and tilted down to look at Andrew.

Andrew pressed a kiss to his abdomen, and then stretched so his arms splayed out. Neil let out a soft laugh, and pushed his fingers into Andrew’s hair. He got lost in the rhythm of twirling Andrew’s hair between his fingers.

Just as he was about to let his eyes slip shut he whispered,

“I’m glad you're here.”

Andrew sucked in a deep breath, and then he let it out slowly, “me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neil is 22, Andrew is 24. Not mentioned, but it's the week after New Years, and it's getting close to 'Neil's' 23 birthday.
> 
> Weird question, but did anyone else read tfc and think Andrew and Aaron where 20 in it, so then finding out that they where in fact not 20/21 (after TRK), really messed you up?? cause for some reason the whole time I thought Andrew was two years older then Neil, and it's just really weird that he isn't??? That's kinda why I put their ages in all my fics about them.


	8. Don't Say It's a Holidate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Prompt: None

Neil stared at Andrew. He was next to him, driving. A surprise visit after months of only phone calls. Neil was ecstatic and trying to figure out the best way to show it, to show Andrew how happy he was that Andrew was there.

He hovered his hand over Andrew’s on the shift, and Andrew spread his fingers, a space for Neil to put his and Neil immediately slotted them into it. A place just for him that Andrew created.

When Andrew had shown up, he hadn’t said much, instead pushing him into the shower, and instead of joining him, he had gone through Neil’s closet. Neil had come out with just a towel, knowing they were the only ones at the dorm that day, and saw the outfit Andre had picked against his pillows. Andrew himself had changed while he was in there, pressed slacks and a button down, both in black.

Neil looked to the clothes Andrew had laid out for him, finding a similar ensemble, in shades of gray.

Neil pulled them on without fanfare. It wouldn’t be the first time Andrew had dressed them up just to go do nothing, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last.

But when they pulled up to a fancy restaurant, Neil didn’t know what was happening.

Andrew got out first and Neil took a second to take a deep breath, unbuckling, and in those few seconds he had, Andrew had rounded the car and gotten the door for him. Neil stared up at him,

“What are we doing?” His voice sounded strained, and honestly, it was just a restaurant, he didn’t know what was intimidating about it.

“Eating dinner.” Andrew sounded just as tense, to someone else they wouldn’t be able to hear the difference, but Neil had been able to tell for years. It was almost comforting that Andrew was just as nervous about this as he was. He got out of the car, and Andrew closed the door behind him.

Walking inside, it was filled, with hushed talking, and Neil wondered if there would be any space for them, but a waiter came up to the little podium thing,

“Hello, reservations?”

Neil started to take a step backwards, thinking they would have to find somewhere else, but Andrew caught his elbow,

“Minyard.”

Neil looked at Andrew, and he could tell that Andrew could feel his gaze, but he just kept his eyes on the waiter.

“Ah, yes, right this way.”

Andrew kept his hand on his elbow on the way to their table. Only letting go to pull the chair out for him and then going around to his own side of the table.

Once Andrew was seated, and they ordered both water and then Andrew got to look over a wine menu did Neil finally say what he was thinking,

“What’s happening right now?” Neil couldn’t keep the incredulity out of his voice.

Andrew glanced up, “Dinner”, and then went back to his menu.

Neil huffed, and then looked at his own menu, finding foods he had never heard of that he was sure would come out to them in tiny servings that would do athletes no good.

The waiter came back with their water, and Andrew ordered a wine for them, and as the waiter scurried away, lifted his own menu, slightly squinting at the tiny words.

“I told you, you should get reading glasses.” Neil quipped, lifting his own menu up to pretend he didn’t see the look Andrew was sending him. He snickered when Andrew lightly tapped him with his foot under the table, and didn’t say anything as he left his foot against his ankle. He thought it was lucky that the table was small enough to let Andrew even entertain the thought of doing that.

It wasn’t until their food had gotten there that Neil understood what exactly was happening.

The portions were actually good sizes, and the food was good. Neil was asking Andrew if had found a good club in his new city, and Andrew was talking about a place not too far from his apartment, when it happened.

Three tables to their left, a man got up from his table, going around to his own date, and got down on one knee. He pulled something from the piece of cake that was in front of the lady, a tiny little ring that had been sitting in the icing.

They had caught Neil’s eye, but what else caught it was the fact that everyone in the place was a couple. And that some were looking at each other like they were so in love it would kill them.

Neil thought hard, he had had a very important paper due that week and hadn’t been keeping up with the date, but it finally hit him that it was the fourteenth. February fourteenth.

Neil looked back to his plate, then twirled his fork in his pasta, and slowly brought it up for a bite.

He looked up at Andrew, finding him already looking. Neil looked back to the crying couple, apparently she had said yes. He didn’t know who would ever like to be proposed to in a public place, it seemed to be something personal.

“You better not have something like that planned.” He joked, but they had already talked about the fact that neither of them thought marriage was important, or something they wanted.

Andrew rolled his eyes, pulling a piece of chicken off his fork in a way Neil could only describe as aggressive.

Neil took sip of his wine, and chose his words the way he always did, meaning he didn’t,

“So. Valentines?”

Andrew sighed, pushing his food around on his plate for a moment, before he also took a quick sip of his wine,

“That is today, yes.”

“Why?” Neil really couldn’t understand.

“Why, what? It’s just a day.”

“Exactly, we’ve never done this before.”

Andrew sighed leaning back in his chair, popping the front legs off the ground, and Neil smiled at it,

“We're not? We are not celebrating it. We are taking advantage of the half price meal and wine.”

Neil nodded, and they finished their meal in peace. 

In the end they also had dessert. Andrew getting a sundae, and Neil getting tiramisu.

In the car they took up their earlier position, Neil’s fingers interlocked with Andrew’s. They were half way back to the dorm when Andrew said,

“If it was a Valentines date, what would you do?”

Neil thought about it for a moment, “I wouldn’t complain. Just curious about what would make you want to?”

Andrew’s thumb brushed over the back of his own, “Cause we can. Wanted to see what the fuss was about. It was fun.”

Neil leaned his head back, looking to Andrew and not being able to see him in the dark of the night.

“It was fun. Maybe we could go to that pizza place that has tiramisu next time though.”

Andrew snickered beside him, “What, is that gonna be your new obsession?”

“Yes. But only when you take me for it.”

Andrew shook his head, Neil could hear his hair against the headrest, and then a quiet ”death of me.”

But Neil could hear how his voice lost the harsh edge to it, and he slightly squeezed his fingers around Andrew’s, and Andrew squeezed back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Set during Neil's last year of college.  
> -No real notes, kinda just writing warm up.
> 
> -this has nothing to do with this fic, but I went back and titled all the chapters in this series to silly things, and I'll try to remember to do that from now on, cause I think its fun.


	9. Orange Juice For Uncle Anshew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: None  
> Rating: G

Neil was furiously scrubbing at the pan in the sink.

Andrew was having a bad day, and when Andrew had bad day’s it meant he didn’t get out of bed. When Neil had bad days it meant he sat in the corner and twitched at anything that came near him. But Neil was feeling fine; he knew his mood was being affected by Andrew’s bad day. In the way that made Neil feel like shit, cause he wanted to do something for Andrew, and was doing exactly what Andrew needed of him, giving him space; but it felt like it wasn’t enough, he needed to do something else.

Neil’s something else to do for Andrew was make sure the house was clean whenever he could leave their room.

Neil dropped the scrubby in the sink, drying his hands and then scratching his fingers against his scalp.

His something else was also going to be explaining to a three year old who was very attached to him that she couldn’t go into Uncle Andrew’s bedroom.

Neil heard the guest bedroom door open. Neil was still getting used to thinking of it as Aaron and Amelia’s room.

Tiny feet pitter pattered into the room behind him, and then there was a tug on his pant leg. Neil bent down and scooped Amelia up into his arms. Her little arms rested on his shoulders, and she smiled big, her eyes still sleepy, and blinking heavy.

“Good morning sweet pea. How’d you sleep?” Neil leaned back against the counter edge behind him.

“Uncle Neil, I had a sheam we went to the aquarium. Can we go?” Her head tilted in a way that he knew she picked up from Aaron, while she sounded out the syllables to ‘aquarium’. Neil would never deny being wrapped around her little finger,

“I’ll write it on the calendar, maybe we can go tomorrow? I know we can go sometime though.”

She hummed, and Neil could feel her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.

“Where is Uncle Anshew? Can we go get him?”

Neil sighed, and rubbed at her back,

“No, not today sweat pea. Uncle Andrew is gonna sleep this morning, ok?”

She frowned, “Why?”

“He doesn’t feel well.”

Her frown turned worried, “He has a cold? Daddy’s a doctor, he can make Uncle Anshew better.”

Neil shook his head, “He doesn't have a cold. He just needs to sleep. He’ll be better soon.”

“How soon is soon?”

Neil chuckled, knowing she was just asking questions because she was three, and loved asking them,

“Probably tonight.”

Aaron walked into the room, he eyed the very clean state of the kitchen. Amelia didn’t hear him come in,

“Are you sure daddy can’t help Uncle Anshew get better faster?”

Aaron raised an eyebrow at him.

“Nope. He just needs to sleep, and for it be quiet, and maybe later this afternoon some orange juice. Which we are out of, and that’s why you and your daddy are going grocery shopping.”

He gave a pointed look to Aaron. They actually had been planning on going shopping that day, but he hoped Aaron wouldn’t mind having to go by himself that day. Aaron just gave a clipped nod, pulling down two bowls from the cabinet.

Amelia patted Neil’s arms, her signal for wanting down, and then she dashed out of the kitchen. Neil walked to the doorway and watched as she went into the guest room.

Neil was glad Aaron had chosen the room on the ground floor, its size was big, and it was away from where Andrew was so he didn’t have to worry that Amelia making noise would disturb him.

Neil was more worried about it then Andrew, he was sure that even if Amelia did wake him up he wouldn’t even bat an eyelash.

Neil sighed and went back to his count to lean against.

Aaron was pouring two bowls of cereal.

“Where's the list? Did you write down all the stores you get stuff from? I know you go to Whole Foods and Aldi.”

Neil pulled it off the fridge and handed it to him. 

“I did organize it by store. If there's something ridiculous on there, just get it?”

Aaron nodded, looking it over. He sat it back on the counter. He ate his cereal dry, and Neil thought about how Andrew would make a face at him for it.

When Amelia came back in the room she was dressed in a pink tootoo and had on a glitter skull shirt that Neil knew Andrew had bought her. Her leggings were black and gold striped, and slightly crooked. She held out a mismatched pair of socks to Aaron. Aaron sighed, putting his now empty bowl on the counter, and helped her put the socks on. She said a thank you and dashed out of the room again.

Aaron put his bowl in the sink, and picked the other up for Amelia.

“She has better fashion sense than you.”

Neil rolled his eyes, and Aaron left the room with a snicker.

-

Andrew had come out of their room at about eleven, almost an hour after Aaron and Amelia left. Sir and King followed him out, and they immediately started batting at the toy that Amelia had ‘made’ for them; putting together the toy Andrew had bought when Ameila had turned her big eyes on him in the store last weekend.

Andrew was wearing soft sweats and one of Neil’s old PSU sweatshirts that was wearing out in the sleeves and missing the string for the hood, it had come out in the wash and Neil had been too lazy to fix it. The sleeves were bunched up in his fists, keeping them covered.

He didn’t say anything, just went about the kitchen making coffee. Neil watched him pop one of the pods into their keurig and then he turned and pulled an ice tray out of the freezer, cracking it and sitting it on the counter, scooting it towards Andrew.

He stared at it for a moment, and then looked down at his hands. They were still covered by the sweatshirt, and Neil smiled a little, pulling the ice back to him, and putting it in the big travel cup Neil knew Andrew liked to put his coffee in.

He got out the milk, and went about steaming it for Andrew as well.

“Where’s the munchkin?” Andrew’s voice was slightly raspy.

“Grocery shopping. Amelia is with him.” 

Andrew huffed a soft laugh, and Neil held out the mug with milk in and ice in it, and Andrew poured the coffee into it. He took one of the knives from the block they had and stirred his coffee with it.

Neil rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything, used to it. 

‘It’s the only thing long enough to get to the bottom of the cup without my fingers getting covered in coffee.’ Andrew had deadpanned the first time he did it in front of him. Neil had thought he was just fucking with him at the time, but Andrrew only stirs drinks with their knives.

Andrew left the room and Neil waited only a second before following him out. Andrew was settling down on the couch, Sir jumping up with him and curling up with her head on Andrew’s thigh. Andrew rubbed the top of her head.

Neil leaned on the wall, running through his list of things that he was going to get done, and noticing he had done all of them. He was trying to think of something to do to make himself scarce when Andrew sighed,

“Hovering.”

Neil rolled his, shrugging, “I got the house chores done for the week, I don’t mean to be, but I have legit nothing left to do.”

Andrew laughed. A genuine, quiet, Andrew laugh. 

Neil smiled, rolling his eyes, “I’m glad my boredom brings you joy.”

Neil looked across the room, taking in the things he left out, and pointed to the book Andrew had been reading yesterday, “you want that?”

Andrew followed his finger, his eyes still soft, and when he saw his book he shook his head,

“Nah, but you can come sit with me rabbit.”

And Neil did, sitting on the other side of Sir, rubbing her spine and leaning his head back on the couch.

-

Aaron and Amelia got home a couple hours later, after lunch. Neil had made them some pasta, but after they ate they had curled right but up in the same positions on the couch, even Sir joined them again.

Aaron shouted out ‘We’re home!’ With Amelia ecchoing him. Andrew sat up straighter, setting his now empty coffee cup on the side table.

Amelia came out of the hallway, and when she saw Andrew her eyes lit up.

“Uncle Anshew. You’re awake. I got your orange juice.”

Neil fought the laughter fit that was threatening to take him over. Ameila was holding two of the bottles of orange juice you get from the fridges at the checkouts. She was almost dropping one, but she made it to the coffee table just in time, putting them down and then immediately picking one up and holding it out to Andrew.

Andrew looked at it with one eyebrow raised, but took it from her,

“Thank you Lia.” 

She nodded and then shuffled her feet around; she held out her arms to Neil, and Neil pulled her into his lap.

She looked at Andrew from under her bangs,

“Are you feeling better now?”

Andrew nodded, “Better than this morning.”

Amelia nodded back, “Uncle Neil said you’d need orange juice.”

Neil bit his lip to keep from laughing, and he knew that if Andrew hadn’t had so much practice at keeping his expressions under control he would be losing it,

“He did? He always knows what I need.”

Amelia nodded again, like she believed Neil had sage like knowledge.

Aaron walked into the room, and then he held up the bags he was holding, which had more orange juice, two in each bag. Neil snorted, but quickly got it back under control. Aaron lowered the bags,

“I see no one is going to help me bring in the groceries.”

Neil put Amelia down on the couch and she immediately started stroking Sir’s back like he had been and he got up to help Aaron.

When they got back out to the car he doubled over in laughter.

“Please tell me there's more orange juice?” He said once he caught most of his breath.

Aaron shook his head, “If I had actually let her, she would have put the entire store's supply in the buggy.”

When they were done putting the groceries away, Neil stepped back into the living room, one of the bottles of orange juice was half gone, and Amelia was curled up with Sir, asleep, Andrew running his fingers through her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is part two to that fic I posted about Aaron and Katelyn getting divorced. There was gonna be a different part two where Aaron and Amelia moved in, but I couldn’t think of anything substantial to write about all things considered.  
> -Aaron and Andrew are 33, Neil is 32, and Amelia is 3.  
> -Me: I hate it when people write out little kid speak. Me: Oh….. Uhh, how do I get the point across that Amelia has a cute little kid lisp?....... I guess I am one of those people huh. Anyway. It’s just one of my little pet peeves, and I think I’m gonna make myself get over now. Amelia can’t say dr sounds, it comes out as sh sounds. This is based off my own baby cousin, so like. Yeah.  
> -Incorporating my own headcanon that Neil buys anything that Andrew puts on the grocery list for him? Yes. It’s in a post on my tumblr if you wanna go find it @ foxgloveinspace.  
> -Have I written for a fandom if I don't write one of the characters as overstimulated? Nope. So, if you're like me and you see Andrew as ADHD, then it's that kinda overstimulation (or I know some of the fandom sees him as autistic, and it's pretty similar). But, yeah, basically Andrew woke up overstimulated, and just needs a couple hours to himself.


	10. Let's discuss this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: None  
> Rating: M  
> Tags: Sub Andrew, Dom Neil, no explicate sex, just kink discussions. Goes along with the same au as chapter 2.

Andrew rolled onto his side. Neil was staring at the ceiling, and Andrew watched as he blinked slowly. He thought about falling back asleep with him, the soft morning light seeping in from the window. Neil had opened their black out curtains first thing that morning, and then settled back down. The sheet was pooled around his hips, soft smile on his lips.

Andrew felt content.

He’d had a question on the back burner for a while now, and he felt that they where both in a good enough mood to be able to ask it without it upsetting the quiet balance they had that morning,

“What’s a scenario you’ve thought of that you think we wouldn’t be able to do?”

Andrew figuring out he liked when Neil dommed him had been a long adventure, not all of it good, but they came to the end of it with an understanding that they both got good things out of it. They both liked switching it up, but lately, Neil had been dom more often then not. And he came up with most of their ideas.

He remembered joking about how the ace was the best at coming up with kinky shit, and Neil had said “I think that’s why? I can take a step back and just see what would make us feel good, I can keep the goal in mind.” Andrew had laughed harder then he meant to at it, but maybe he was right.

“Why?” Neil didn’t sound upset, he sounded just as curious as Andrew felt.

“I just want to know.” Andrew let himself shrug, “Want to know if you're making a big deal out of nothing, for one thing. I also know you have a good imagination, so maybe even if it’s something we can’t do, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be hot to think about.”

Neil snorted, “Our version of dirty talk?”

Andrew felt the corner of his mouth twitch up, “Your better at that now.”

Neil threw his arm up over his head, and let out a soft hum, “Let’s see. I don’t have a lot, most of my ideas are ones I’ll tell you.”

Neil’s fingers were digging into the pillow above his head, “Handcuffs. Or some sort of restraints. Usually that’s what they involve.”

Andrew made a curious noise, “we tried some. You didn’t like it.”

Neil gave the ceiling what Andrew recognized as a sad smile, “Yeah. Not on me though.”

Andrew didn’t think whatever Neil would bring up would make him uncomfortable, he signed up for this discussion, and he wouldn’t back out of it now, but,

“You want to tie me up?” He knew his voice gave it away.

Neil turned so he was laying on his side facing Andrew, almost mirroring him,

“Sometimes.”

“Why? You want me helpless?” Andrew regretted it the second it was out of his mouth, Neil’s frown deepened, and turned into a scowl,

“No. Never. It’s different for me.” He took a deep breath, “I like being the only thing making you feel good, and the recurrence that I know I am the only thing making you feel good is what I like about the scenario.”

Andrew took a deep breath, the reasoning was something he understood, and when it came down to it he could see the appeal for Neil.

“How would you have me?”

Neil blinked in surprise.

“Arms behind your back. I actually know a tie that you could get out of immediately on your own.”

Andrew smiled, of course Neil would research for something he didn’t even want to bring up,

“How long would you edge me?”

“No. It's more of a, overstim kind of scenario.”

Andrew’s toes on his right foot curled.

“And then?”

“And then, nothing. I make you feel good, that’s it.”

Andrew sighed and laid back flat on the bed.

“Where would I be? On my back, stomach?”

“Riding me.”

Andrew sighed. It was silent for a little while and then Andrew said,

“Maybe we can work up to it.”

“What?” Neil’s voice sounded like he couldn’t believe Andrew would even think something like that.

“Let’s just try working up to it. We’ll do one part of the scenario at a time separately and then if I can handle it all, we’ll put it all together. Better buy me the softest fucking rope there is Josten.”

Neil laughed softly.

“Ok.”

“Ok Junkie. Now go back to sleep.” Andrew closed his eyes again.

He felt the bed dip, and then Neil pressed a quick kiss to Andrew's shoulder, and then snuggled against his side.

They fell back into a peaceful sleep almost immediately. Content in each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I really wanted to explore kink discussion with them.  
> -Set in the same universe as that smut I wrote for like the second chapter? This would probably only be later the same month as that or maybe the next month.  
> -About the scene they discuss, Idk if they would ever work up to what Neil actually described, but maybe some different version of it. At this point in the au, they've never tried overstim on Andrew, so they don't know yet that he doesn't enjoy it. But they definitely do the rest.  
> \- I wrote this last month, but like. I was a bit nervous to post it. But I really like how it turned out.


End file.
